Process of and apparatus for electrically reproducing irregular or undulating surfaces



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

N. S. AMSTUTZ. PROCESS 01? AND APPARATUS FOR ELEGTRIGALLY REPRODUGINGIRREGULAR 0R UNDULATING SURFACES.

Patented Mar.'17,1891.

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N. S. AMSTUTZ. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR ELEGTRIGALLY REPRODUGINGIRREGULAR 0R UNDULATING SURFACES.

No, 448,404. Patented Mar. 1'7, 1891.

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FEED STATES PATENT Orricn.

NOAH S. AMSTUTZ, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRlCALLY REPRODUCING lRREGULAR ORUNDULATING SURFACES.

SPECEFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,404, dated March.17, 1891.

Application filed August 19, 1889. Serial No. 321.254. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

3e it known that I, NOAH S. AMSTUTZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Process of andApparatus to r Electrically Reproducing Uneven, Irregular, or UndnlatingSurfaces; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a process of and apparatus for electricallyreproducing uneven, irregular, or undulating surfaces; and the object ofthe invention is to provide a method and means whereby sketches,designs, photographs, autographic and type matter, and the like, whenwrought into forms having uneven surfaces-such surfaces, for example, asare representative of light and shade and give distinct outlines offigures in impressions or prints taken therefr0mmay be speedilyreproduced at any distance from the sender, thus enabling an artist tovisit any place, however remote from publication, and by hastily workinginto suitable form for transmission any sketch, picture, photograph, orthe like, have the same electrically repro duced at the home oifice withsubstantially as great speed and accuracy as news is now dispatched frompoint to point, the reproduction, it desired, being in relief lines acomplete engraving.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of asending apparatus, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of a receivingapparatus. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the sending art of theapparatus, showing the mechanism for regulating the back and forthmovements of the table carrying the model. Fig. a is a similar viewofthe part of the apparatus at the receiving-station and showing themechanism for controlling the back and forth movements of thereproducingtable. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the armature and itsconnections for reversing the direction of movements of thedrivingpower.

In the apparatus shown, A represents the base or bed plate common toboth figures.

This )late )reierabl Y is castina sin le iece, l a a a as appears ineach figure, and is cored out on its under side to reduce weight, aswell as to afford space forcertain parts of the apparatus, thus leavingthe top surface free for other uses. At one end the plate A is providedwith guideways a, such as are common to planing-machines and lathes, andin these guideways a carriage B has free longitudinal movement back andforth fora purpose hereinafter explained. This carriage has a rack 19,beneath which a pinion Z) on the driveshat't Z) engages, and by whichthe carriage is operated. Upon the carriage and working in transverseguides therein is a table or bed plate D, which has a short step-by-stepcrossfeed at right angles to the travel of the carriage B. This feedtransversely is effected by a screw D, having a toothed head or thelike, which engages an arbitrarilvplaced stop on the bed plate, andwhich gives a certain amount of turn to the screw, and hence a certainslight lateral movement to bed D every time the carriage reaches the endof its movement in either direction. The bed D,of course, is carried toand fro by carriage l3, and has its own lateral movement besides. Inoperation there will be a sufiicient number of longitudinal movements ofthe carriage B to complete the work laterally as well as longitudinally,and the breadth of the work will determine the number of longitudinalmovements. The lateral movement of plate D by its screw, or otherartificial means used in lieu thereof, occurs at the end of eachlongitudinal movement of the carriage B.

The bed-plate or table D forms a support for the work F, which restswithin a frame E, surrounding the same, and is held at the corners byangle-clamps (Z. The work in Fig. 2 consists in a plate of plasticmaterial, or a plate coated or covered with such material to asufficient depth, and in Fig. 1 is shown in has-relief as it appearswhen ready for transmission or when it is finished. In Fig. 1 are showntransverse beads or ribs 6 near the end of the work. These occur only onthe sending-forms and are designed to switch or reverse the power bywhich frame 13 is carried back and forth. Various forms of mechanismmight be suggested to accomplish this result. In the drai ings I show asimple means, consisting of a lever H, pivoted on arched ful crum-restG, which is longitudinally adj ustable in ways a on the base A.

The transmitting-lever I-I is'adj ustably held on rest G by a sleeve h,and the said lever vibrates on this pivot subject to a spring 723,supported at one end by an adjusting-screw on a cross-piece g on rest G,andat the other end on a short standard 71, adjustable'on thetransmitting-lever. This spring is of course of very slight tension andis meant to keep the tracing or graving tool or point It normally downon'the work.

At its outer extremity lever H has anelectrical contact-point g, whichis forced down when the tracing-point rides up on one of the beads e andcloses the circuit on the projection beneath, thus causing themotor-revers' ing current to be switched andthe motor reversed, when thecarriage will move'in the in motion the carriage B would be foundtotravel back and forth automatically the distance between the respectiveelevations e,between which the work is located, and ,t he table E,carrying the work, would be gradually fed laterally until thetracing-pointhad'traversed the entire width of the work. Thus thetracing-point would be made to describe or to' travel on parallel lineson such distances apart as the lateral feed-screw would provide. In someinstances, as in fine work, these lines would 'have scarcely aperceptible distance between them, and the distance may be made Igreater or less, according to the quality of the work to be done.

Now, assuming that the work in Fig. 1 represents a has-relief of aphotograph and the" tracing-point is in position at one side-to beginthe back-and-forth movement over the surface of the work, as aboveindicated; and this surface is to be exactly reproduced at a distancefrom the sending-point, we find in Fig. 2 an apparatus upon which thisreproduction occurs. To accomplish this resultelectrical connectionbetween the two apparatus is required, and it is further required" thatthe movement of tracing-point h shall be reproduced at thereceiving-table with suchprecision and nicety that every shadeofvariation in its movement will betransmitted'and repeated on the pointerat the receiving-station. The work on the receiving-table, therefore,is'of a plastic or other suitable material,

traversed the work before it 72. has reproduced an exact fac-similethereof in like relief' and outline, even to the slightest possibleelevation or depression, said reproduction being in lateral variation aswell as vertical by reason of the V-shaped tool, though the whole isonanotherwise horizontal surface.

Two things are essential in this reproduction: first, that the work inboth places shall 'movelongitudinally andtransversely at'precisely thesame rates of speed. The lateral movement is equalized by havingfeed-screws having the respective power-shafts which impel the carriageback and forth driven at the Qs'ame rate of speed; Thus, if electricmotors are employed in eachplace, they can be regu- 'lat'edori governedto run at certain predetermine'drevolutions per minute, and, being thus-governe'd by suitable means conn ect'ed with i each mot'or and subjectto local control, the reversalof both motors is effected simultaneouslyby or throughlever Hat the sendingstation. contact g for thelocal motor.

This lever is described as having a p Another con tact 9 is provided forthe distant motor,

(and both contacts being madeat the same time the reversing mechanism ofboth motors will be'operatedat the same time. Then both ;carriages willsta'rt in the opposite direction together, and thus the action will berepeated jlllltlithG work is-done. Now, having the matter or movementsfor the work perfectly arranged, the next essential is to transmit theup {and down vibrations of the lever H as they are produced from point hand interpret the surface F to the receiving-point h so that the twopoints will'workin unison and rise andfail'together and to the sameelevations and depths. It will be understood" that in this operation thesending-pointh' ridesover the surface'of the work as'it is-found anddoes not penetrate it, while the point It makes, penetrations in thework of greater or less depth and width,

according to the conditions of the surface reproducedthat is, when thepoint it sinks low the point h will cut-deep, and when the point hrides-high the point It will cut light,

and so on, the rise and fall of both-being simultaneous. Thisreproduction of movesuitable generatorK through lever Hto'contact-screws 7c, spring-pressed pins 10', and re- 'sistance-coils kwhence the wire leads to the mainline and the receiving-station. As hereshown, I employ five resistancecoils of gradually-decreasing size andresistance, and the contact-screws are so set that the coil of f anyof'the coils k, exert an attractive and repellentforce'upon saidlever inproportion to' the volume of the current. Thus, if the current has topass through coil 1 of the series, where the resistance is greatest, theflow will be less than through any of the others, and hence theattraction orpull on lever H would be at the minimum. On the other hand,it the current were through coil 5 it would have its least resistanceand greatest strength, and the pull on lever ll would be at its maximum.This would correspond to the highest elevation in the playof point h andthe greatest resistance to the lowest depression or fall thereof. Itwill fellow, of course, if contact is made at No. 5 that the other coilspreceding will all be in circuit, but the current will naturally choosethe path of least resistance, and hence will pass through No. 5exclusively, in preference to any of the others. In this way, also, I amenabled to get the graduation of movement which is dependent on thegraduation of current, the resistance-coils serving to break thestrength of the current just sufliciently to answer my purpose. Ofcourse any desired number of coils can be used and arrangement thereofmade that is convenient. As here shown, they are beneath the base A; butthey might be on top or elsewhere about the apparatus. The spring-coilsbeneath pins 7t make connection with the wires beneath. The telescopicbar M, carrying the points it, is pivotally secured at its inner end andvertically adjustable at its outer end, so as to adjust the pins 71'simultaneous with respect to screws 7r, instead of setting each screwseparately when more or less range of vibration of lever H is wanted.

As before described, the frame E, having the raised portions at each end6, is placed upon the table,which reciprocates underneath thetracing-point and feeds crosswise of such reciprocation at regularintervals. The said frame incloscs or holds the model or therepresentation of the picture or sketch with its variable undulation.Now it will be observed that the greatest height of these elevationsdoes not reach to the same height as the thickened portions 6 of theframe E, so that when the tracing-point is moved to the highest positionof the cast the last of the contact-points 7. is in circuit. There stillremain the two outer contact-points which are not yet in circuit, butwhich are thrown into circuit the moment the tracing-point 7t rides uponthe elevation c, thus elifecting the reversing and stopping of both thelocal and distant tableactuat lug mechanism. This is accomplished asfollows: The contact-point g is insulated from the main line circuit,which passes through lever ll, its attached contact-points 7t, and therespective resistances upon the line-wire to the receiving-instrument.This contact-point when thrown in circuit by elevation c andtracing-point It with a local battery and electro-magnets, is designedfor stopping and reversing the local conveying mechanism. Thecontact-point next inside of the one is in circuit at the same time,

but the current passing over it passes over the line-wire to thesolenoids the same as the current which passed through the severalcontacts 7t as they successively were in circuit. This lastcontact-point allows the full strength of current to pass over the lineand energizes the solenoids far beyond what the current was able to doin coming through the resistancecoils 71 Hence the armature-lever llmoves to a greater degree even than is ever required of it in thetransmission of the picture alone, thereby closing a local circuit forthe receiving-station which is identical with the one for thesending-station. Suitable clock mechanism, or its equivalent, is used asthe motive power in either case. A pinion M is mounted outside of thebed-plate A upon the shaft b This pinion has meshing into it anintermediate gear, and this in turn receives motion from a pivoted trainof gears 1 and 12, mounted upon a yoke, which has a depending leverwhich terminates in an armature. This lever has movement between thecores of two separate sets of magnets, and is normally held as againsteither the one or the other of the sets by a spring The gear 1, meshingwith the intermediate gear, is in train with gear 2 of the same size,meshing with it, which gear upon its hub on the opposite side of itssupport has a small pinion, which in turn meshes with a larger gearmounted upon the driving-shaft of the motor mechanism. The axial line ofthis motor-shaft is coincident with a line drawn from center to centerof the two gears mounted upon the outside face of the yoke, and theintersection of this line with their meeting pitch diameters, thusallowing small pinion at to remain in mesh with the motor-gear 5 inwhatever position the armaturelever is placed with respect to theelectro-magnets. it will be observed that contact-point g when incircuitas directed by elevations c at either end of the stroke of thefeed-table will actuate the armature and attract it against theclectro-magnets. The gear 1, as now shown in mesh with intermediategear, will when the armature is drawn to the opposite side of themagnets be out of mesh with intermediate gear; but its companion mountedupon the yoke and being in mesh with itself will at this time engage theintermediate gear, and thus reverse the movement of the feed-table. \i'ewill suppose the tracing-point to be upon the elevation c farthermost tothe right of Fig. 1, ready for the feed mechanism to begin its movementtoward the left. At this point the electrical circuit will be closedthrough pointy, as described, leaving the gear 1 in mesh with theintermediate gear, thus having stopped the feed-machine and instantlyreversing it so as to movein the opposite direction. \Y hen this occurs,the feed-table, of course, starts in the opposite direction, asdescribed, and when reaching the opposite end of its strokethetracing-point 7: is likewise raised or lifted upon the elevation 6,thus again closing the circuit through coir tween the two sets ofmagnets, and to the one side of the central position, sprin g3 cutsitself out of circuit and switches into circuit the opposite set ofmagnets, thus placing them in a position to be operated when thetracing-.

point has reached the opposite end of the feed mechanism. This movementis continued until the whole surface of the model has been gone over,when, of course, the machine is I stopped.

It will be readily understood from theforegoing description that anapparatus thus condistance between the sending and receiving stationsfor reproducing has-relief surfaces in the manner described, and thattheapparatus can as well be operated. at greater distances as at lessones by simply supplying the necessary current for the purpose. Thecurrent is made variable or intermittent by the resistance-coilsand thecontact-points k 70, or, in other words,

undulating with variations in volume and in-' tensity according to thesize of coil in circuit, as determined by the tracing-point hyet'unbroken in its flow.

The apparatus being started, it will run it-.

any other that now suggests itself. The function of these coils may ofcourse be otherwise obtained, and the invention is designed to includeany and all electrical agencies by which a current can be variedaccording to the un-' dulations of the surface interpreted, and thuscause said surface to be reproduced at a distant point, as hereinbeforedescribed. In the present construction the current is steady andconstant, and is varied in'degree or intensity as it goes out upon theline-wire by the resistance-coils.

The reproducing or interpreting arm H,

operated by solenoids L L, may make its rec- 0rd through the medium of aruling-pen say of the usual style of a graving or tracingpoint or tool.In that case the pen would be held stationary on the paper or surface tobe worked, and the lever or arm H would have a vertical play between theblades of the pen, on the stems of which are vertical inclines. The arm,playing up and down upon the inclines,would separate the blades or movethem toward one another, according to the breadth of line wanted and theposition of the armon the inclines. Thus a line of any breadth desiredcan be obtained. The pen, of course, is

provided with a constant supply of ink and with a suitable spring orother means to restore the blades to their normal relation as againstthe action of the inclines. A bifurcated lever working on the outside ofthe penblades would in efiect amount to a like operation. I

The term plastic material as used in this specification should beinterpreted as meaning such material as parafflne-wax, beeswax, thematerial employed forgraphophone orphonograph tablets, and all likesubstances in which a graving-tool-or sharp tracing-point will cutaclean score, trace, line, orgroove into the material.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is structed can be successfully employed atany i l. The method of reproducing has-relief, intaglios, and the likesurfaces, consisting in running a tracing-point in contact with thesurface to be reproduced and communicating the variable vibrations ofsaid point to a reproducing point or device by means ofan electriccurrent, substantially as setforth.

2. The method of transmitting the configuration of a given surface fromone point to another, which consists in causing a tracingandcommunicating the said undulationsby means of an electric current toanother tracing point or device working upon another surface,substantially as set forth.

3. The method of reproducing surfaces having variable elevations, thesame consisting in moving the subject to be reproduced back and forthbeneath a tracing-point and com municating the up-and-down'movennents ofsaid point by an electric current to a reproducing point or devicearranged over a surface in which the undulations of the original arefaithfully reproduced by moving said material or work backand forthbeneath the reproducing point or device by an electric current in unisonwith the original work, substantially as set forth.

4. The method of duplicating uneven suring-point to travel back andforth in approximate paths over an undulating surface and causing adelineation of said surface to be made on another surface by areproducingpoint actuated by a current of electricity varying instrength with the varying elevations and depressions of the originalsurface, subducing-point, arranged to penetratesaid plastic surface togreater or less depth and width governed by the varying strength of theelectric current, substantially as set forth.

O. The method herein described of working electrically from one surfaceto another, which consists in employing a suitable point for eachsurface and controllin g one of said points electricallythrough a seriesof graduated resistances, substantially as set forth.

7. In an electrical transmitting system, a subject having variableelevations on its surface and a tracing-point actuated by saidelevations, substantially as set forth.

8. In an electrical transmitting system, a subject with an irregularsurface and a tracing-point actuated by said subject, in combinationwith a plate having a reproducingpoint actuated electrically through themovements of the tracing-point, substantially as set forth. I

9. In an electrical transmitting system, two plates and a movable pointfor each plate, with electrical connections, whereby one point isactuated by the variable movements of the other, substantially as setforth.

10. In an electrical transmitting system, a subject having an irregularor uneven surface and a tracing point to work in contact therewith, incombination with a reproducing-point and electrical connectionsproviding an undulating current for actuating the reproducing-point,substantially as set forth.

11. In an electrical transmitting system, a subject having a supportprovided with mechanism for moving it in different directions, atracing-point pivoted to work up and down over said plate, andelectrical connections whereby said mechanism is reversed, substantiallyas set forth.

12. In an electrical transmitting system, a carrier for a subjectprovided with longitudinal and transverse ways, mechanism to move thecarrier in said ways, a tracing-point supported on an arm andhavingaspring to keep the point in working position, and electricalconnections controlling the movements of said mechanism, substantiallyas set forth.

13. In an electrical transmitting system, a suitable support for asubject having an irregular surface, and an arm provided with atracing-point adapted to work up and down over the subject,substantially as set forth.

1%. In an electrical transmitting system, separate stations connectedelectrically, one of said stations having a subject or pattern with anirregular surface and a tracing-point actuated by said surface, andanother station having a reproducingpoint actuated electrically,substantially as set forth.

15. In an electrical transmitting system, a sending-station having atracing-point operated by an uneven surface over which said point isadapted to travel, in combination with a receiving-station having areproducing-point to interpret said irregular surface, and electricalconnections between said stations, provided with means to make thestrength of the current correspond to the irregularities of the surfaceto be reproduced, substantially as set forth.

16. In an electrical transmitting system, sending and receiving stationselectrically connected and a series of graduated resist ances in saidconnections, substantially as set forth.

17. In an electrical transmitting system, a tracingpoint adapted tovibrate and a point to reproduce said vibrations on a suitable surface,in combination with electrical connections provided with varyingresistances and distinct contact-points, substantially as set forth.

18. In an electrical transmitting system, a tracing-point actuated by anirregular or undulating surface and an arm supporting sa d point, withan electrical contact-point on said arm to close a circuit andelectrically control the propelling power of the local apparatus,substantially as set forth.

19. In an electrical transmitting system, a frame holding a subject tobe reproduced having ribs or beads on which the tracingpoint is adaptedto ride, with said tracing point, whereby the frame is reversed throughelectrical connections, substantially as set forth.

20. In an electrical transmitting system, a sending-station and areceiving-station, each provided with suitable mechanism, and electricalconnections between said stations whereby the said mechanism at. bothstations is simultaneously reversed, substantially as set forth.

21. In an electrical transmitting system, a receiving-station providedwith a plate of plastic or like soft material having an even surface anda tool to work from said surface downward in lines varying in depthandwidth, whereby a figure, picture, or the like is produced in relief onthe said surface, and electrical connections with a sending-station foractuating said tool, substantially as set forth.

22. In an electrical transmitting system, a sending-station having asubject with arbitrary elevations on its surface and a tracingpointactuated by said elevations, in combination with a receiving-stationhaving mechanism to interpret and reproduce the movements of theactuating tracing-point, substantially as set forth.

NOAH AMS'IUYZ. Witnesses:

R. B. IlIOSER, J. L. COREY.

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